Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 11, 1 November 1999 — Home lands injustice [ARTICLE]

Home lands injustice

The suffering of the Maku'u homestead reservation lessees is appalling and inhumane. Of all the land available on the Big Island, the lessees were awarded the worst. They and more than 2,000 other homesteaders in other areas have been denied essential power, sewer facilities and water as required in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. The counties have no jurisdiction over trust lands, according to the attomey general's opinion No. 12-21 of Oct. 2, 1972, and the opinion of the Corporation Counsel of Hawai'i dated Jan. 3, 1973. Twen-ty-seven years later, the infiltrators on the tmst lands still prevail. What's with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands? Its eommissioners have knowingly allowed the county to infiltrate the trast, whieh is a clear betrayal of its tmst responsibility. This past May, seven homesteaders at Keaukaha homestead reservation on the Big Island were arrested for blocking a county crew from shutting off their water. They argued that as Hawaiian homesteaders they were entitled to ffee water. Why? The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act at Section 20, "Development Projects," says the department is authorized directly to derive revenue from the sale of water and other products to other than homesteaders. So where is the county's justification for the water assessment imposed on the homesteaders? Edward "Papa" Inn Waimānalo Homestead Reservation

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